Umbrella and umbrella tree frost cover

ABSTRACT

This device is an umbrella and an umbrella tree frost cover which is operable to open and to closed position by a valve controlled pneumatic pressure mechanism. It has an umbrella rod to which umbrella ribs are pivotally secured and it includes an inner two-way hoist cylinder in which the umbrella rod is secured to a piston rod and piston actuated by the pressure to push up the umbrella ribs and an attached cover from out of an outer base cylinder, and the pressure may then be exerted on the top of the piston to retract the umbrella ribs and cover the outer base cylinder. When used as a tree frost cover, the outer base cylinder is partly embedded in the ground adjacent the trunk of the tree it will cover, and when operated, the umbrella portion extends over the top of the tree and has depending tree frost cover portions which droop down from the umbrella portions to adjacent the ground. It may be made in various sizes to fit different size trees. In the umbrella form, the ribs are tempered and of inverted Ushape, and support the umbrella cover in usual umbrella position. In tree frost cover form, the ribs extending from the inverted Ushaped tempered ribs beyond the umbrella portion are flattened out, not tempered, and are flexible, so that the tree frost cover thereon droops down to below the lower tree branches, thus protecting the fruit against frost.

United States Patent Deibert [4 1 Dec. 19,1972

[54] UMBRELLA AND UMBRELLA TREE Lizasoain .47/2

Primary Examiner-Robert E. Bagwill Attorney-Gustave Miller [5 7]ABSTRACT This device is an umbrella and an umbrella tree frost coverwhich is operable to open and to closed position by a valve controlledpneumatic pressure mechanism.

It has an umbrella rod to which umbrella ribs are pivotally secured andit includes an inner two-way hoist cylinder in which the umbrella rod issecured to a piston rod and piston actuated by the pressure to push upthe umbrella ribs and an attached cover from out of an outer basecylinder, and the pressure may then be exerted on the top of the pistonto retract the umbrella ribs and cover the outer base cylinder.

When used as a tree frost cover, the outer base cylinder is partlyembedded in the ground adjacent the trunk of the tree it will cover, andwhen operated, the

umbrella portion extends over the top of the tree and has depending treefrost cover portions which droop down from the umbrella portions toadjacent the ground. It may be made in various sizes to fit different 1size trees.

. In the umbrella form, the ribs are tempered and of inverted U-shape,and support the umbrella cover in usual umbrella position. In tree frostcover form, the

ribs extending from the inverted U-shaped tempered ribs beyond theumbrella portion are flattened out, not tempered, and are flexible, sothat the tree frost cover thereon droops down to below the lower treebranches, thus protecting the fruit against frost.

9 Claims, 1 1 Drawing Figures PATENTED um 19 I972 SHEEI 1 0F 3 INVENTORHam/d L. De/ber/ ATTORNEY PATENTED 19 I97? 3. 706 160 sum 2 or 3INVENTOR Hora/0 L. De/ber/ a I JQ QQWVQM ATTORNEY PATENTEDmc 19 I972SHEET 3 BF 3 1 1 I'll, g (I FIG. 7

INVENTOR Ham/d De/ber/ ATTORNEY UMBRELLA AND UMBRELLA TREE FROST COVEROBJECTS OF THIS INVENTION It is an object of this invention to providean umbrella tree frost cover that may be secured closely adjacent a treeit is to protect against frost, which is quickly openable to operativeposition by pressure, pneumatic or otherwise, and which is similarlypressure operated to closed position.

A further object of this invention is to provide an umbrella tree frostcover which has both an umbrella portion for extending over a tree andin addition has a treeside frost protecting portion drooping down fromthe umbrella portion attached thereto.

A further object of this invention is to provide an umbrella tree frostcover which is stored-in a base cylinder secured adjacent the tree it isto protect when needed, wherein the umbrella tree frost cover may bequickly operated to protective position by pressure, and as quicklyoperated back to stored position by the same mechanism.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide both a largeumbrella and an umbrella tree forst cover, wherein the umbrella treefrost cover form covers both the top of the tree and the lower sides ofthe tree, and wherein the umbrella form has the identical pressureoperated mechanism as the umbrella tree frost cover form, and differstherefrom by merely omitting the frost cover and the flexible ribs forthe lower sides of the tree, wherein the umbrella top form has temperedinverted U-shaped umbrella ribs, and wherein the umbrella tree frostcover form has the identical U-shaped tempered umbrella ribs and inaddition flexible, untempered flat rib portions integrally extendingfrom each of the tempered U-shaped ribs, the flat ribs carrying theforst cover extending down the lower sides of the tree.

A further object of this invention is to provide an umbrella tree frostcover having a manually controllable pressure mechanism for operatingthe umbrella tree frost cover from stored position to cover position andfrom cover position to stored position, and, further, wherein athermostat control may be added to the manual control for actuating themanual control when the temperature drops to a predetermined point tooperate it to cover position, and then when the temperature rises againto a predetermined point, it operates the cover to stored position.

Yet a further object of this invention is to provide an improvedumbrella tree frost cover over the tree protector devices shownparticularly in the following listed U.S. Pats: Conrad, No. 645,890;Liljegran, No. 1,072,340; I-Ionstedt, No. 1,351,249; and Savage, No.2,405,452; and, in general, an improvement over all the prior art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES With the above and related objects inview, this invention consists in the details of construction andcombination of parts, as will be more fully understood from thefollowing description, when read in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the umbrella tree frost cover form ofthe invention is storage position.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view in partly opened position.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view in fully opened position.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the umbrella form only of thisinvention, in fully opened position.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the invention in initial opening position.

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view, partly broken away, on still largerscale.

FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view, also on the larger scale, fullyopened and partly broken away. I

FIGS. 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of line 8 and line 9-9 on FIG.6.

FIG. 10 is a large sectional view on lines 10-10 of FIGS. 3 and 4,showing the U-shaped tempered umbrella rib position.

FIG. 11 is a large scale sectional view on line 11-11 of FIG. 3, showingthe flat, untempered extending rib portion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION There is shown at 10.the umbrellatree frost cover form of this invention is mounted in operative positionadjacent a fruit tree 12 that it is designed to protect against frost.The umbrella invention shown at 14' in FIG. 4 is identical with the partof the umbrella tree frost cover invention 14 above the line A-A inFIG.3, and accordingly identical parts of both forms of the inventionare identified by the same referencenumbers, and when they differ onlyin size, the reference numbers are primed.

The umbrella ribs 16 are U-shaped in cross section, as shown in FIG. 10,with the umbrella cover 18 resting on the ends of the U-legs 19 of theU-ribs 16. These U- ribs 16 are of tempered metal so as to support theumbrella cover 18-on the U-legs 19 when opened in the conventionalumbrella position, as in FIGS. 3 and 4. In FIG. 4, the temperated,U-shaped ribs 16 terminate at the bottom edges of the umbrella cover 18in a conventional manner, but in FIGS, 2 and 3, a tree frost coverportion 22 extends downwardly when fully opened. The extending portions20 of ribs 16, which may be integral, are flattened out and untempered,so as to be flexible and hang down from the tempered U-shaped ribs 16,and tree frost cover 22 extending down from umbrella cover 18 issupported by and attached to extending flexible, untempered, flat ribsportions 20. It is the presence or absence of these untempered,flattened, flexible rib portions 20 that makes the difference betweenthe umbrella tree frost cover form 14 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and theumbrella form 14 shown in FIG. 4 as mounted on an outdoor table 24.

The operating mechanism for storing, ejecting and retracting theumbrella 14 or the tree frost cover 10 consists of a base cylinder 26,which, in the case of the tree frost cover 10, is partly embedded in theground 27 adjacent the trunk of the tree 12, which it protects, as shownin FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. In the case of the umbrella 14', the base cylinder26 is suitably supported in the desired location, as on an outdoor table24. Suitably secured to the bottom 28 of the base cylinder 26 is aconcentric inner two-way hoist cylinder 30.

The top portion 38 of base cylinder 26 flares outwardly somewhat, and acap 40 for closing the flared top 38, to protect against rain when inclosed position, is secured on the top end of the piston rod 42 whichextends through a bushing 44 into the inner two-way hoist cylinder 30. Apiston 46 with lower and upper piston rings 48 and 50 is secured on thebottom of the piston rod 42 within the inner two-way hoist cylinder 30,and pressure from pneumatic pressure conduit 52 to the bottom of innercylinder 30 will move piston 46 and piston rod 42 upwardly until it isstopped by cushioning spring 54 secured to the bottom of bushing 44. Asecond pressure conduit 56 leads to the top of cylinder 30 above thelimit of travel of piston 46 to activate the piston 46 and piston rod42in a downard direction. The pressure conduits 52 and 56 and valve 58are con nected to a readily replaceable pneumatic pressure tank 60 andoperable by manual control valve handle 62 to either conduit 52 or 56while bleeding the pressure from the non-pressured conduit to thus moveand hold the piston rod 42 in either retracted, closed storage position,or extended open position. v

The inner ends 64 of U-shaped ribs are pivotally secured at 66 toradially projecting cars 68 of a collar 70. This, in turn, is secured toan intermediate cylinder or umbrella rod 72 of plastic or other suitablematerial. This cylinder 72 surrounds inner, two-way hoist cylinder 30and is secured to piston rod-42 to ride up or down therewith to pull thetempered U-shaped ribs 18, and also the flat untempered flexible ribs 20in the tree frost cover form up and out of the base cylinder 26, or

pull them back down into the cylinder 26. The flared top 38 of cylinder26 guides the-ribs and cover back into the cylinder 26. Intermediateumbrella rib cylinder 72 is longitudinally slotted at 73 to pass overupper pressure conduit 56. The rib pivoting collar 70 is notched'at 74so as to pass about the upper pressure conduit 56, which also serves toprevent the umbrella 14 and tree frost cover 14 from rotating freelyabout the axial center. The intermediate umbrella rod cylinder 72 isannularly spaced from outer base cylinder 26 by an upper spacing disc 32secured thereto near its bottom, and a second and lower spacing disc 34is flexibly attached to upper disc 32 by a flexible plastic connector 36so that the lower disc 32 will still provide spacing when the upper disc32 is in the area of the flared top 38, as shown in FIG. 7. The discs 32and 34 are also notched at 74 to pass about pressure conduit 56.

OPERATION When pneumatic pressure is delivered into cylinder 30 belowpiston 46, and simultaneously bled from above piston 46, piston 42 movesto its top limit against cushioning spring 54, simultaneously movingintermediate cylinder or umbrella rod 72 to pull up the ribs 18 and 20and their attached umbrella cover 18 and thus push flexible ribs 20 andtree frost cover 22 from out of the base cylinder 30 to the extendingfirst position shown in FIG. 2.

Then, as the cylinder or umbrella rod 72 moves from position in FIG. 2to that of FIG. 3, the flexible ribs 20 and tree frost cover 22 movedown to frost protecting position of FIG. 3 depending from the umbrellaribs 16 and umbrella cover 18.

In the umbrella form 14' of FIG. 4, the operating mechanism is shorter,due to the absence of the flat, flexible extending rib portions and treefrost cover positions, but is otherwise identical in construction andoperation.

'With the umbrella 16' or tree frost cover 14 in extended position, itis held in such position by the tempered U-shaped ribs 16 as well as bythe weight of the umbrella and tree frost cover, while, when retractedinto the base cylinder, it also remains in position. Hence, the valve 58may be a conventional three-way valve for applying pressure in eitherdirection while bleeding it in the other direction, and when inposition, may then be set to bleed the pressure from the pressure side,while closing off the pressure tank 60 and preventing loss of pressuretherefrom as pressure is not needed to maintain the umbrella or cover ineither open or closed position. In the case of the tree frost cover, aconventional thermostatically controlled device may be added toautomatically open the tree frost cover when the temperature drops belowa preset point, and to again close it when it rises above a slightlyhigher preset point, to provide automatica frost protection.

In the drawings, like numbers refer to like parts, and for the purposesof explication, marshaled below are the numbered parts of the improvedUmbrella Tree Frost Cover of this invention:

10 umbrella tree frost cover 12 fruit tree a 14 or 14 umbrella invention16 U-shaped tempered ribs 10 umbrella tree frost cover 12 fruit tree 14or 14 umbrella invention 16 U-shaped tempered ribs 18 umbrella cover 19U-legs of ribs 18 20 flat, untempered, flexible extending ribs of 16 22tree frost cover portions extending from umbrella cover portions 18 24outdoor table (on which umbrella base cylinder 26 is mounted) 26 or 26base cylinder 27 ground 28 bottom floor of base cylinder 26 30concentric inner two-way hoist cylinder 32 upper spacing disc secured tointermediate 72 34 lower spacing disc 36 flexible plastic connectionbetween 32 and 34 38 outwardly flared top of base cylinder 26 40 cap toclose flared top 38 42 piston rod 44 bushing at top of inner cylinder 3046 piston on piston rod 42 48 lower piston ring 50 upper piston ring 52lower pressure conduit 54 cushioning spring secured under bushing 44 56upper pressure conduit 58 pressure valve 60 replaceable pressure tank 62valve control handle 64 inner ends of ribs 16 66 pivot pins for 64 68pivot ears on 70 70 collar mounted on intermediate cylinder (or umbrellarod) 72 I 72 intennediate cylinder or umbrella rod 73 longitudinal slotin cylinder 72 74 notch in collar 70 Although this invention has beendescribed inconsiderable detail, such description is intended as beingillustrative rather than limiting, since the invention may be variouslyembodied, and the scope of the invention is to be determined as claimed.

Having thus set forth and disclosed the nature of this invention, whatis claimed is:

l. A pressure operable umbrella comprising a base cylinder (26) having abase floor (28) at its bottom, an inner two-way hoist inner cylinder(30) concentric with said base cylinder (26) and secured to the floor(28) of said base cylinder (26), a piston rod (42), a piston (46)secured thereon at its lower end and vertically reciprocable within saidinner two-way hoist cylinder (30), a bushing (44) sealing the upper endof said inner cylinder (30), said piston rod (42) reciprocating throughsaid bushing (44), piston cushioning means (54) secured to said bushing(44) within said inner cylinder (30), an intermediate umbrella rodcylinder (72) vertically reciprocable about said inner cylinder (30),saidintermediate cylinder (72) being secured to said piston rod (42)adjacent its top end, annular means (32, 34, 36) about said intermediatecylinder (72) spacing said intermediate cylinder (72) within said outerbase cylinder (26), a collar (70) secured about said intermediatecylinder (7 2) adjacent to and above said spacing means (32, 34, 36), aplurality of umbrella ribs (16) pivotally (66) secured to said collar(70) and extending up within said outer base cylinder (26), an umbrellacover (18) on said ribs (16) receivable within said outer base cylinder(26), controllable (58, 62) pressure means (60), and pressure conduitmeans (52, 56) from said controllable pressure means to said innertwo-way hoist cylinder (30) to below said piston (46, 48) and to abovesaid piston (46, 50) for controllably reciprocating said piston rod (42)and intermediate umbrella rod cylinder (72) to eject and retract saidumbrella ribs (16) and umbrella cover (18) from and to within said outerbase cylinder (26 2. The umbrella of claim 1, said base cylinder (26)having an outwardly flared open top (38) for guiding the retracting ribs(16) and cover (18) thereinto, and a cap (40) secured on the top end ofsaid piston rod (42) complementary to said base cylinder flared open topend (38) to close said flared open top end (38) when in down position.

3. The umbrella of claim 1, said annular spacing means comprising a pairof annular spacing discs (32, 34) about said intermediate cylinder (72),said upper disc being secured to said intermediate cylinder 72), saidlower disc (34) being flexibly suspended from said upper disc (32)adjacent the lower end of said intermediate cylinder (72).

4. The umbrella of claim 1, said pressure conduit means (56) to abovesaid piston (46, 50) extending closely adjacent to said intermediatecylinder (72), said discs (32, 34) and" said collar (70) being notchedand said intermediate cylinder (72) being longitudinally slotted (73) toride over said upwardly extending pressure conduit (56) and preventrotation of said collar (72) and thus of said umbrella.

5. The umbrella of claim 1, said ribs (16) being tempered to supportsaid umbrella cover (18) when ejected to umbrella position, saidtempered ribs (16) .extending from their pivotal connections (66) tosaid ll 6? e t 1mbrella of claim 5, said tempered ribs (16) beingU-shaped (l9).

7. The umbrella of claim 6, the U-legs (19)'of said U- shaped umbrellaribs (16) being in supporting contact with said umbrella cover (18).

8. The umbrella of claim 5, and flexible, untempered rib portions (20)extending from the ends of each tempered rib (16), said umbrella cover(18) extending over said untempered rib portions (20) providing treefrost cover means (22).

9. The umbrella of claim 8, said tempered ribs being U-shaped and havingtheir U-legs (19) providing cover (18) contact support, said untemperedrib portions (20) being flat and flexible.

1. A pressure operable umbrella (10) comprising a base cylinder (26)having a base floor (28) at its bottom, an inner two-way hoist innercylinder (30) concentric with said base cylinder (26) and secured to thefloor (28) of said base cylinder (26), a piston rod (42), a piston (46)secured thereon at its lower end and vertically reciprocable within saidinner two-way hoist cylinder (30), a bushing (44) sealing the upper endof said inner cylinder (30), said piston rod (42) reciprocating throughsaid bushing (44), piston cushioning means (54) secured to said bushing(44) within said inner cylinder (30), an intermediate umbrella rodcylinder (72) vertically reciprocable about said inner cylinder (30),said intermediate cylinder (72) being secured to said piston rod (42)adjacent its top end, annular means (32, 34, 36) about said intermediatecylinder (72) spacing said intermediate cylinder (72) within said outerbase cylinder (26), a collar (70) secured about said intermediatecylinder (72) adjacent to and above said spacing means (32, 34, 36), aplurality of umbrella ribs (16) pivotally (66) secured to said collar(70) and extending up within said outer base cylinder (26), an umbrellacover (18) on said ribs (16) receivable within said outer base cylinder(26), controllable (58, 62) pressure means (60), and pressure conduitmeans (52, 56) from said controLlable pressure means to said innertwo-way hoist cylinder (30) to below said piston (46, 48) and to abovesaid piston (46, 50) for controllably reciprocating said piston rod (42)and intermediate umbrella rod cylinder (72) to eject and retract saidumbrella ribs (16) and umbrella cover (18) from and to within said outerbase cylinder (26).
 2. The umbrella of claim 1, said base cylinder (26)having an outwardly flared open top (38) for guiding the retracting ribs(16) and cover (18) thereinto, and a cap (40) secured on the top end ofsaid piston rod (42) complementary to said base cylinder flared open topend (38) to close said flared open top end (38) when in down position.3. The umbrella of claim 1, said annular spacing means comprising a pairof annular spacing discs (32, 34) about said intermediate cylinder (72),said upper disc being secured to said intermediate cylinder 72), saidlower disc (34) being flexibly suspended from said upper disc (32)adjacent the lower end of said intermediate cylinder (72).
 4. Theumbrella of claim 1, said pressure conduit means (56) to above saidpiston (46, 50) extending closely adjacent to said intermediate cylinder(72), said discs (32, 34) and said collar (70) being notched and saidintermediate cylinder (72) being longitudinally slotted (73) to rideover said upwardly extending pressure conduit (56) and prevent rotationof said collar (72) and thus of said umbrella.
 5. The umbrella of claim1, said ribs (16) being tempered to support said umbrella cover (18)when ejected to umbrella position, said tempered ribs (16) extendingfrom their pivotal connections (66) to said collar (70).
 6. The umbrellaof claim 5, said tempered ribs (16) being U-shaped (19).
 7. The umbrellaof claim 6, the U-legs (19) of said U-shaped umbrella ribs (16) being insupporting contact with said umbrella cover (18).
 8. The umbrella ofclaim 5, and flexible, untempered rib portions (20) extending from theends of each tempered rib (16), said umbrella cover (18) extending oversaid untempered rib portions (20) providing tree frost cover means (22).9. The umbrella of claim 8, said tempered ribs being U-shaped and havingtheir U-legs (19) providing cover (18) contact support, said untemperedrib portions (20) being flat and flexible.